Turkey's relations with Central Asian states are perhaps at the lowest point since the breakup of the Soviet Union. The diplomatic downturn has occurred during a domestic political transition, in which the charismatic Suleyman Demirel has been succeeded as president by the more reserved Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

The latest James Bond film, "The World Is Not Enough," depicted a fierce battle among oil executives, spies, and villains for control of a lucrative new pipeline linking Caspian oil to world markets. The Hollywood production is clearly a work of fiction.